The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring a plurality of sheet material articles.
Sheet material articles, such as assembled signature sets known as books, are often moved while in a vertical orientation and edge first through an automated binding machine to facilitate the binding process. Edge first movement permits the binding operation to be performed during continuous movement of the books. As the books are moved through the binding machine, the books are spaced at intervals to permit proper operation of the binding machine.
Subsequent to binding, the bound books require further processing, such as trimming, stacking or packaging. Often this further processing is accomplished when the books are in a horizontal orientation as they are moved. Thus, there are transfer systems for changing the orientation of the books after they leave the binding machine.